Hot air debate – Was early image veneration in the Church of Rome already a reality?

Deutsch

Did the Roman Catholic Church begin erecting images and statues for veneration at an early date? A debate with Protestants led to representatives of the Roman Catholic Church exposing themselves with their own arguments.

Supposedly Important – The Timing

Did the Roman Catholic Church already venerate images and figures in its “founding period” or not? This question seems to be crucial in a (supposed) dispute between the arguments of representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and some Protestants. It therefore seems important in this debate whether the Church of Rome itself avoided “holy images” in its early days.

The Catholic magazine “catholic.com” contradicts the claims of Protestants who said that history contradicts the early Catholic belief in images (Source). The author of this “correction” points out in advance that Catholics do not consider historical sources on the same level as Holy Scripture, unless the historical sources are based on transmission within “Sacred Tradition.”

“Saints” have to serve

After a discussion on how to deal with the (“polemical”) rhetoric of Protestants, the magazine cites statements by Theodoret of Cyrus, who lived in the 5th century and left behind writings such as “On Saint Meletius.” In the 4th century, John Chrysotome wrote about the “History of the Monks in Syria,” who welcomed the veneration(!) of a holy image.

The author continues: Theodoret wrote that “Saint” Simeon, the “Pillar Saint,” was so famous in the Roman area that a small image of him was placed at the entrances to workshops. This was hoped to provide security and protection. Eusebius of Caesarea (4th century) also noted in his work “Church History” that images of Peter, Paul, and Christ himself existed in his time.

These are all evidence that even in its early days, the Church erected images and figures of “saints” and, as Chrysotom was quoted as saying, also venerated them.

Shooting Oneself in the Foot

Well, even if this debate ended in favor of the Roman Catholic Church because it was able to prove, based on historical writings—which the Church also considers at least equal to the Bible based on its “holy tradition”—that image and figurine veneration existed in early times, what does this actually prove?

Essentially, the Church of Rome not only admits to having fallen into paganism early on, but even defends it. What does the Word of God actually say about this?

Just two verses from God’s law are actually sufficient to provide clarity: Exodus 20:4-5:
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:“

Clearly, NO image, NO likeness, no matter what, whoever, or where it is. DO NOT worship and DO NOT serve. Period, end of story!

That’s actually the crux of the matter. It’s completely irrelevant when the great apostasy of the Roman church actually began, when it accelerated, and what pagan practices were also incorporated. “Pillar saints” for protection and security? That’s pure pagan superstition. Reports about monks in Syria are a similar case, since monasticism has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity, but is, as always, exclusively a pagan practice.

It’s almost a mental weakness to justify paganism with paganism, especially considering that this pagan practice (admittedly) began very early on.

The Church of Rome itself knows the truth

As with the Sabbath, the Roman Catholic Church knows exactly what the Bible describes about God’s law. The Church itself reveals this in the “Catholic Encyclopedia.”, 1904, p. 153.: “Being the one true God, He alone is to be adored, and all rendering to creatures of the worship which belongs to Him falls under the ban of His displeasure; the making of ‘graven things’ is condemned: not all pictures, images, and works of art, but such as are intended to be adored and served.“

This also takes the wind out of the sails of those who claim that we don’t “worship” them (especially Mary), but merely “venerate” or “adore” them, and that requests to the “saints” for intercession are not prayers, but merely “requests for intercession.” No matter how you twist and turn it, this is communication with the deceased. It doesn’t matter whether this happens through prayer, thoughts, letters, emails, or messages in bottles. This is pagan spiritualism in practice. And here, too, it is completely irrelevant when this paganism actually entered the Church of Rome.

This debate is a classic charade and merely serves to distract from the essential point. Generally speaking, the Bible alone is valid, no matter how many figures appear who declare their own traditions to be “high and holy.” This has always been the modus operandi of charlatans and imposters.

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)